In a previous post, the meaning of the word zawczoraj was defined as “the day before yesterday”. Two related words are also difficult to find in current dictionaries: onegdaj and zaonegdaj.
The Słownik języka polskiego (Dictionary of the Polish language) describes the word onegdaj in this way:
onegdaj «on the day two days preceding today; the day before yesterday»: I was in church with Joasia and her brother Bronek the other day. PIET. Młod. 169. The plague is spreading with lightning speed: the other day 30 people died, yesterday 50, and apparently even more today. ŚWIĘT A. Obraz. II, 165. Our card-collectors (…) having caught me the other day, did not let me go until I was deprived of my last penny. ZABŁ. Firc. 26. onegdaj in noun usage “the day before yesterday”: We are renters of time, so today is not ours, as they usually say, but yesterday, the day before yesterday, and today are very much conditional. NORWID Słow. 284. // L
The Słownik języka polskiego (Dictionary of the Polish language) describes the word zaonegdaj in this way:
zaonegdajobsolete «three days ago»: I received your letter dated the 9th of this month three days ago. CHOPIN Wyb. 113. // SWil
Ostrołęka Powiat in the Łomża Gubernia – 1907 Józef Michał Bazewicz, Atlas geograficzny ilustrowany Królestwa Polskiego (Litografia B. A. Bukaty, Warsaw, 1907); digital images, Mapywig (http://igrek.amzp.pl/details.php?id=11767096 : accessed 07 May 2023).
The administrative structure of the parishes of Czerwin, Goworowo, Kadzidło, Kunin (established 01 Jan 1937), Myszyniec, Ostrołęka, Troszyn can be described as follows:
01 Jul 1569-03 Oct 1795:Village, Łomża Ziemia, Masovian Voivodeship, Province of Greater Poland, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
04 Oct 1795-13 Oct 1809:Village, Kammerdepartement Płock, Province of New East Prussia, Kingdom of Prussia
14 Oct 1809-09 Jun 1815:Village, Ostrołęka Powiat, Płock Department, Duchy of Warsaw
09 Jun 1815-15 Jan 1816:Village, Ostrołęka Powiat, Płock Department, Congress Kingdom of Poland
16 Jan 1816-06 Mar 1837:Village, Ostrołęka Obwód, Płock Voivodeship, Congress Kingdom of Poland
07 Mar 1837-10 Oct 1842:Village, Ostrołęka Obwód, Płock Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland
11 Oct 1842-30 Dec 1866:Village, Ostrołęka Powiat, Płock Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland
31 Dec 1866-17 Oct 1915:Village, Ostrołęka Powiat, Łomża Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland
18 Oct 1915-10 Nov 1918:Village, Ostrołęka Powiat, General Government of Warsaw, German Empire
11 Nov 1918-31 Mar 1939:Village, Ostrołęka Powiat, Białystok Voivodeship, Second Polish Republic
01 Apr 1939-31 Aug 1939:Village, Ostrołęka Powiat, Warsaw Voivodeship, Second Polish Republic
01 Sep 1939-27 Jun 1945: Village, Regierungsbezirk Zichenau, Province of East Prussia, German Reich
28 Jun 1945-21 Jul 1952:Village, Ostrołęka Powiat, Warsaw Voivodeship, Republic of Poland
The March Constitution of the Second Polish Republic (adopted on 17 March 1921) established a political system based on the separation of powers and restored a bicameral Sejm consisting of a chamber of deputies and the senate.
On 9 April 1938, the Sejm issued an act to change the borders of some of the Voivodeships within Poland. These changes were short-lived. Nazi Germany invaded Poland on the 01 September 1939 and the Soviet Union invaded Poland a little over two weeks later on 17 September 1939.
Title of Act: Act of 9 April 1938 on changing the borders of the following voivodships: Białystok, Kielce, Lubelskie, Łódzkie and Warsaw.
Date of Issue: 9 April 1938
Date of Entry into Force: 1 April 1939
Act of 4 April 1938 Second Polish Republic. Sejm. Dziennik Ustaw, 1938 nr 27 poz. 240. “Ustawa z dnia 9 kwietnia 1938 r. o zmianie granic województw: białostockiego, kieleckiego, lubelskiego, łódzkiego i warszawskiego; Image copy. ISAP – Internetowy System Aktów Prawnych. (https://isap.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/DocDetails.xsp?id=WDU19380270240 : accessed 07 May 2023).
240 ACT of April 9, 1938 on changing the borders of the following voivodships: Białystok, Lubelskie, Łódzkie and Warsaw.
Article 1. (1) The following shall be included in the area of the Łódź Voivodeship: 1) from the Warsaw Voivodship, the powiats of Kutno, Łowicz, Skierniewice and Rawa; 2) from the Kielce Voivodeship, the powiats: Opoczno and Końskie, with the exception of the municipal communes: Skarżysko-Kamienna and Szydłowiec and the rural communes: Bliżyn and Szydłowiec. (2) Included in the area of the Warsaw Voivodeship: 1) from the Białystok Voivodship, the powiats of Ostrołęka, Ostrów and Łomża; 2) from the Lubelskie Voivodeship, the powiats of Sokołow, Węgrów and Garwolin, and the commune of Irena from the Puławy powiat. Article 2. The Minister of the Interior and other competent ministers, according to the scope of their activities, are entrusted with the execution of this Act. Article 3. This Act shall enter into force on April 1, 1939.
President of the Republic: I. Mościcki Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior: Slawoj Składkowski
Old metrical records often include obsolete terms, presenting problems for those of us who are trying to interpret those records today. Particularly confusing are obsolete terms in languages in which we are not fluent.
Even the term “metrical” is confusing. Look up this term in a dictionary of the English language and you’ll find definitions such as:
Many genealogists know that vital records or sacramental records in English-speaking countries are called metrical records in Eastern Europe and Russia. Despite the fact that some genealogists may consider these records to be poetry, metrical records document births, baptisms, marriages, deaths, and burials.
The terms dziś (or dzisiaj), wczoraj, and przedwczoraj (meaning today, yesterday, and day before yesterday) are often found in Polish metrical records in phrases such as i okazał nam dziecię płci żeńskiej urodzone wczoraj (and he showed us a female child born yesterday). Usually, the record states that the child was born dzisiaj (today), wczoraj (yesterday), or przedwczoraj (day before yesterday). But, what if the child was born zawczoraj?
Old documents sometimes include words that were in common use at the time the document was written but have now fallen into disuse. I could not find the word zawczoraj in my modern Polish-English dictionary. Wiktionary includes a list of Polish terms with obsolete senses, but zawczoraj is not included in that list, either. Fortunately, Zawczoraj does appear in the Słownik wyrazów zapomnianych czyli słownictwo naszych lektur (Dictionary of forgotten words or the vocabulary of our readings).
Here’s what the Słownik wyrazów zapomnianych has to say about zawczoraj:
zawczorajfalling out of use «on the day before yesterday; the day before yesterday, the other day»: They sent for him the day before yesterday. RODZ. Dew 198. For example, the day before yesterday they had fun at my uncle’s music school until five o’clock in the evening… ORZESZ. Sylwek 237. The day before yesterday I wrote to you. KRASIŃ. Listy II, 151. // L
: I received your letter dated the 9th of this month three days ago. CHOPIN Wyb. 113. // SWil
Those of us who conduct Polish genealogical research have probably used the Polish Archives site Szukaj w Archiwach at one time or another. As the archives make more and more Polish metrical records (records of births, marriages, and deaths) available to the public online, Szukaj w Archiwach is becoming a more and more valuable resource for Polish genealogical research.
Unfortunately, the site has been shut down for the last few weeks. Here’s the latest information from the Archives:
Translated into English, this says:
Search in Archives
Beginning Monday, November 21, the Search in Archives service will be available in the reading rooms of the State Archives throughout the country.
At the same time, we are intensively working on restoring the current functionality and safe user access to the website.
The temporary shutdown of Search in Archives was for security reasons.
We apologize for any inconvenience and please be patient. We encourage you to use the website in the reading rooms.
Kolno Powiat in the Łomża Gubernia – 1907 Józef Michał Bazewicz, Atlas geograficzny ilustrowany Królestwa Polskiego (Litografia B. A. Bukaty, Warsaw, 1907); digital images, Mapywig (http://igrek.amzp.pl/details.php?id=11767093 : accessed 13 Nov 2021).
The administrative structure of the parishes of Borkowo (NOTE: The parish church in Borkowo was established in 1918, separated from the parish of Mały Płock), Kolno and Mały Płock can be described as follows:
01 Jul 1569-03 Oct 1795:Village, Łomża Ziemia, Masovia Voivodeship, Province of Greater Poland, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
04 Oct 1795-08 Jul 1807:Village, Kammerdepartement Białystok, Province of New East Prussia, Kingdom of Prussia
09 Jul 1807-08 Jun 1815:Village, Łomża Powiat, Łomża Department, Duchy of Warsaw
09 Jun 1815-15 Jan 1816:Village, Łomża Powiat, Łomża Department, Congress Kingdom of Poland
16 Jan 1816-06 Mar 1837:Village, Łomża Obwód, Augustów Voivodeship, Congress Kingdom of Poland
07 Mar 1837-10 Oct 1842:Village, Łomża Obwód, Augustów Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland
11 Oct 1842 – 30 Dec 1866:Village, Łomża Powiat, Augustów Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland
31 Dec 1866-23 Aug 1915:Village, Kolno Powiat, Łomża Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland
24 Aug 1915-10 Nov 1918:Village, Łomża Powiat, General Government of Warsaw, German Empire
11 Nov 1918-31 Mar 1938:Village, Kolno Powiat, Białystok Voivodeship, Second Polish Republic
01 Apr 1938-03 Dec 1939:Village, Kolno Powiat, Warsaw Voivodeship, Second Polish Republic
04 Dec 1939-21 Jul 1941:Village, Białystok Oblast, Byelorussian SSR, USSR
22 Jul 1941-19 Sep 1944:Village, Bezirk Bialystok, German Reich
20 Sep 1944-15 Aug 1945:Village, Grodno Oblast, Byelorussian SSR, USSR
16 Aug 1945-18 Feb 1947:Village, Białystok Voivodeship, Provisional Government of National Unity
19 Feb 1947-21 Jul 1952:Village, Kolno Powiat, Białystok Voivodeship, Republic of Poland
01 Jun 1975-30 Dec 1989:Village, Łomża Voivodeship, Polish People’s Republic
31 Dec 1989-30 Dec 1998:Village, Łomża Voivodeship, Third Polish Republic
31 Dec 1998-Present:Village, Kolno Powiat, Podlaskie Voivodeship, Third Polish Republic
The administrative structure of the parish of Zbójna can be described as follows (NOTE: the parish of Zbójna was established in 1892. Prior to that, Zbójna belonged to the Nowogród parish):
01 Jul 1569-03 Oct 1795:Village, Łomża Ziemia, Masovia Voivodeship, Province of Greater Poland, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
04 Oct 1795-08 Jul 1807:Village, Kammerdepartement Białystok, Province of New East Prussia, Kingdom of Prussia
09 Jul 1807-08 Jun 1815:Village, Łomża Powiat, Łomża Department, Duchy of Warsaw
09 Jun 1815-15 Jan 1816:Village, Łomża Powiat, Łomża Department, Congress Kingdom of Poland
16 Jan 1816-06 Mar 1837:Village, Łomża Obwód, Augustów Voivodeship, Congress Kingdom of Poland
07 Mar 1837-10 Oct 1842:Village, Łomża Obwód, Augustów Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland
11 Oct 1842 – 30 Dec 1866:Village, Łomża Powiat, Augustów Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland
31 Dec 1866-23 Aug 1915:Village, Kolno Powiat, Łomża Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland
24 Aug 1915-10 Nov 1918:Village, Łomża Powiat, General Government of Warsaw, German Empire
11 Nov 1918-31 Mar 1938:Village, Kolno Powiat, Białystok Voivodeship, Second Polish Republic
01 Apr 1938-07 Oct 1939:Village, Kolno Powiat, Warsaw Voivodeship, Second Polish Republic
04 Dec 1939-21 Jul 1941:Village, Białystok Oblast, Byelorussian SSR, USSR
22 Jul 1941-19 Sep 1944:Village, Bezirk Bialystok, German Reich
20 Sep 1944-15 Aug 1945:Village, Grodno Oblast, Byelorussian SSR, USSR
16 Aug 1945-18 Feb 1947:Village, Białystok Voivodeship, Provisional Government of National Unity
19 Feb 1947-21 Jul 1952:Village, Łomża Powiat, Białystok Voivodeship, Republic of Poland
01 Jun 1975-30 Dec 1989:Village, Łomża Voivodeship, Polish People’s Republic
31 Dec 1989-30 Dec 1998:Village, Łomża Voivodeship, Third Polish Republic
31 Dec 1998-Present:Village, Łomża Powiat, Podlaskie Voivodeship, Third Polish Republic
The administrative structure of the parishes of Kuzie (established on 01 Nov 1921), Leman (established on 22 Jun 1906), Lipniki, Łyse, and Turośl can be described as follows:
01 Jul 1569-03 Oct 1795:Village, Łomża Ziemia, Masovia Voivodeship, Province of Greater Poland, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
04 Oct 1795-08 Jul 1807:Village, Kammerdepartement Białystok, Province of New East Prussia, Kingdom of Prussia
09 Jul 1807-08 Jun 1815:Village, Łomża Powiat, Łomża Department, Duchy of Warsaw
09 Jun 1815-15 Jan 1816:Village, Łomża Powiat, Łomża Department, Congress Kingdom of Poland
16 Jan 1816-06 Mar 1837:Village, Łomża Obwód, Augustów Voivodeship, Congress Kingdom of Poland
07 Mar 1837-10 Oct 1842:Village, Łomża Obwód, Augustów Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland
11 Oct 1842 – 30 Dec 1866:Village, Łomża Powiat, Augustów Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland
31 Dec 1866-23 Aug 1915:Village, Kolno Powiat, Łomża Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland
24 Aug 1915-10 Nov 1918:Village, Łomża Powiat, General Government of Warsaw, German Empire
11 Nov 1918-31 Mar 1938:Village, Kolno Powiat, Białystok Voivodeship, Second Polish Republic
01 Apr 1938-07 Oct 1939:Village, Kolno Powiat, Warsaw Voivodeship, Second Polish Republic
04 Dec 1939-21 Jul 1941:Village, Białystok Oblast, Byelorussian SSR, USSR
22 Jul 1941-19 Sep 1944:Village, Bezirk Bialystok, German Reich
20 Sep 1944-15 Aug 1945:Village, Grodno Oblast, Byelorussian SSR, USSR
16 Aug 1945-18 Feb 1947:Village, Białystok Voivodeship, Provisional Government of National Unity
19 Feb 1947-21 Jul 1952:Village, Kolno Powiat, Białystok Voivodeship, Republic of Poland
Szczuczyn Powiat in the Łomża Gubernia – 1907 Józef Michał Bazewicz, Atlas geograficzny ilustrowany Królestwa Polskiego (Litografia B. A. Bukaty, Warsaw, 1907); digital images, Mapywig (http://igrek.amzp.pl/details.php?id=11767098 : accessed 12 Nov 2021).
The administrative structure of the parishes of Grabowo and Lachowo can be described as follows:
01 Jul 1569-03 Oct 1795:Village, Łomża Ziemia, Masovia Voivodeship, Province of Greater Poland, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
04 Oct 1795-08 Jul 1807:Village, Kammerdepartement Białystok, Province of New East Prussia, Kingdom of Prussia
09 Jul 1807-08 Jun 1815:Village, Biebrza Powiat, Łomża Department, Duchy of Warsaw
09 Jun 1815-15 Jan 1816:Village, Biebrza Powiat, Łomża Department, Congress Kingdom of Poland
16 Jan 1816-09 Nov 1842:Village, Augustów Obwód, Augustów Voivodeship, Congress Kingdom of Poland
10 Nov 1842-30 Dec 1866:Village, Augustów Powiat, Augustów Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland
31 Dec 1866-07 Sep 1915:Village, Szczuczyn Powiat, Łomża Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland
08 Sep 1915-10 Nov 1918:Village, Szczuczyn Powiat, General Government of Warsaw, German Empire
11 Nov 1918-03 Dec 1939:Village, Szczuczyn Powiat, Białystok Voivodeship, Second Polish Republic
16 Aug 1945-18 Feb 1947:Village, Szczuczyn Powiat, Białystok Voivodeship, Provisional Government of National Unity
19 Feb 1947-11 Mar 1948:Village, Szczuczyn Powiat, Białystok Voivodeship, Polish People’s Republic
12 Mar 1948-31 May 1975:Village, Grajewo Powiat, Białystok Voivodeship, Polish People’s Republic
01 Jun 1975-30 Dec 1989:Village, Łomża Voivodeship, Polish People’s Republic
31 Dec 1989-30 Dec 1998:Village, Łomża Voivodeship, Third Polish Republic
31 Dec 1998-Present: Village, Kolno Powiat, Podlaskie Voivodeship, Third Polish Republic
The administrative structure of the parishes of Białaszewo, Grajewo, Niedźwiadna, Radziłów, Rydzewo (currently in Grajewo Powiat) Słucz, Szczuczyn, and Wąsosz can be described as follows:
01 Jul 1569-03 Oct 1795:Village, Wizna Ziemia, Masovia Voivodeship, Province of Greater Poland, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
04 Oct 1795-08 Jul 1807:Village, Kammerdepartement Białystok, Province of New East Prussia, Kingdom of Prussia
09 Jul 1807-08 Jun 1815:Village, Biebrza Powiat, Łomża Department, Duchy of Warsaw
09 Jun 1815-15 Jan 1816:Village, Biebrza Powiat, Łomża Department, Congress Kingdom of Poland
16 Jan 1816-09 Nov 1842:Village, Augustów Obwód, Augustów Voivodeship, Congress Kingdom of Poland
10 Nov 1842-30 Dec 1866:Village, Augustów Powiat, Augustów Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland
31 Dec 1866-07 Sep 1915:Village, Szczuczyn Powiat, Łomża Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland
08 Sep 1915-10 Nov 1918:Village, Szczuczyn Powiat, General Government of Warsaw, German Empire
11 Nov 1918-03 Dec 1939:Village, Szczuczyn Powiat, Białystok Voivodeship, Second Polish Republic
Antoni Wseborowski and his family arrived in New York City aboard the SS Graf Waldersee on 29 March 1903.
The family traveled in steerage under the name Siborowski (instead of Wseborowski or Skowroński). The group included Antoni Wseborowski, Małgorzata née Podeszwa Skowrońska Wseborowski, Aleksander Skowroński, Józefa Skowrońska, Paweł‚ Skowroński, and Jan Wseborowski.
The family reported that they were planning to stay with a cousin: Anton Rachupka of Baldwinville, Worcester Co., Massachusetts, USA.
Passenger Manifest: Family of Antoni Siborowski – 1903 (Left)
Passenger Manifest: Family of Antoni Siborowski – 1903 (Right)
LIST OR MANIFEST OF ALIEN IMMIGRANTS FOR THE COMMISSIONER OF IMMIGRATION List No. 4 Required by the regulations of the Secretary of the Treasure of the United States, under Act of Congress approved march 3, 1893, to be delivered to the Commissioner of Immigration by the Commanding officer of any vessel having such passengers on board upon [arriving] at a port in the United States. S. S. Graf Waldersee sailing from Hamburg 13th March 1903 Arriving at Port of New York, 3/29 1903 [stamped 53]
The family members are listed as: No. 18: Antoni Siborowski, age 37, male, married, laborer, able to read and write No. 19: Margarete [Siborowski], age 34, female, married, wife, able to read and write No. 20: Alexander [Siborowski], age 17, male, single, laborer, able to read and write No. 21: Josefa [Siborowski], age 10, female, single, child, not able to read or write No. 22: Pawel [Siborowski], age 10, male, single, child, not able to read or write No. 23: Jan [Siborowski], age 5, male, single, child, not able to read or write
All are listed with the following information: Nationality: Russian Last Residence: Grondi [sic: the correct spelling is Grądy] Ethnicity: Polish (ethnicity is provided in column 10: Seaport for landing) Final destination in the United States: Baldwinsville [sic: the correct spelling is Baldwinville], Mass Whether having a ticket to such final destination: no By whom was passage paid: Self Whether in possession of money, if so whether more than $30 and how much if $30 or less: 85 Whether ever before in the United States, and if so, when and where: no Wether [sic] going to join a relative, and if so, what relative, their name and address: cousin Anton Rachupka, Baldwinsville [sic] Mass. Box 187 Ever in Prison or Almshouse or supported by charity, If yes, state which: no Whether under contract express or implied in labor in the United States: no Condition of Health, Mental and Physical: good Deformed or Crippled, Nature and Cause: no
Passenger Manifest: Family of Antoni Siborowski – 1903
SOURCE: Immigration and Naturalization Service, Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, NY, 1897-1957, arrival record for Antoni Siborowski and Family, arrived on 29 March 1903, SS Graf Waldersee; Ancestry.com, digital images, (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 25 January 2021).
Hamburg Departure List – Graf Waldersee – 14 March 1903
Antoni Wseborowski and his family left Grądy, Łomża Powiat, Łomża Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland and headed to the United States on board the SS, Graf Waldersee. According to the departure list of the Hamburg-America Line, they departed on 14 March 1903 from Hamburg, Germany, passing through Boulogne-sur-Mer, France, and Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA, before arriving in New York City.
The family traveled in steerage under the name Siborowski (instead of Wseborowski or Skowroński). The group included Antoni Wseborowski, Małgorzata née Podeszwa Skowrońska Wseborowska, Aleksander Skowroński, Józefa Skowrońska, Paweł Skowroński, and Jan Wseborowski.
Hamburg-Amerika Linie Verzeichniss der mit Deutschen Dampfschiffer Graf Waldersee am am 14. März 1903 vom Hamburg über Boulogne Plymouth nach dem Hafen New York beförderten Auswanderer.
Hamburg-America Line Register of emigrants transported by the German steamship Graf Waldersee on 14 March 1903 from Hamburg via Boulogne and Plymouth to the port of New York.
Detail of the Family of Antoni Siborowski – Hamburg Departure List – 1903
Hamburg Passenger List Headers
Siborowski Family – Hamburg Passenger List 1903
Family of Antoni Siborowski – Hamburg Departure List – 1903
SOURCE: Hamburg-America Line (Hamburg, Germany), Register of emigrants transported by the German steamship Graf Waldersee on 14 March 1903 from Hamburg via Boulogne and Plymouth to the port of New York, Direkt Band 141 (March 1903), page 553, departure record for Antoni Siborowski and Family; State Archives in Hamburg, digital images, (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 23 January 2021).
